


Cup of Stars

by orphan_account



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Backstory, Childhood, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-16 21:31:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7285480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"All the answers to all the questions you could ever dream of."</p><p>Portrait of a young Jemma Simmons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cup of Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Elennare](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/gifts).



“Look there, Jemma. Can you make out Cassiopeia?”

 The ten-year old girl pointed her finger at the small cluster of stars that made out the constellation, Cassiopeia.

“Right there, Dad. There's Cepheus next to it, then Draco."

To her father's delight, Jemma pointed out all the constellations in the Northern sky.

“And if I look further to the right, I can see-”

Jemma tried to sit up in bed to get a better look and cried out in pain.

Her father rushed to her side.

“Hey, hey, what have I told you, muffin? The doctor says you've got to stay flat on your back for another week. Scoliosis doesn't fix itself overnight.”

Jemma scowled as she lay back down.

“I don't trust Dr. Richards, he looked at me like I was a crazy person when I tried to talk to him about the molecular structure of proteins.”

George Simmons smiled down at his daughter.

“Dr. Richards just isn't used to talking to someone as smart as you are, muffin. Come on, tell me more about what you've been learning. I saw that pile of books in your room. What was it today, differential equations or more astronomy?”

Jemma's pale, freckled face lit up in a smile.

“Both of them, of course. I calculated the mass and trajectory we would need to send a probe to Pluto. Can you believe...”

…

“I don't like this one bit, George,” Molly Simmons said, hands on her hips, “she's going to that school in Cardiff in two weeks? Six weeks after she's had a major surgery?”

Her husband flashed her one of those carefree smiles she had once found charming, but now irritated her to no end.

“She'll be fine, Molly. They're so excited to have our Jemma that they're giving her physical therapy sessions in the dorms. Come, love, she's running circles around the other children, here. There's no point in sending her to secondary school, she's almost ready for uni."

Molly shook her head.

“I still don't like it.”

 

Over in her bedroom, Jemma's thoughts were as far away as could be from her new school. She was dreaming of the stars.

 

**Three Years Later**

Molly looked at her daughter's university schedule with a frown.

“Darling, you can't really be thinking of majoring in five subjects.”

“Of course I can, mum,” Jemma replied in her usual chipper tone, “it's just astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. I've got my lesson plans all mapped out. I'll be done in less than two years.”

“And then what will you do, after you've burned yourself out?”

Molly glared at her daughter reprovingly.

“Grad school, of course!”

“After that?”

Jemma shrugged.

“Research, I suppose. Anything that will let me continue learning. I want to know everything there is to know about the universe.”

…

**Four Years Later**

Jemma never had to apply for a job after she graduated from Oxford with PhDs in chemistry and biology. The job offers came to her. Research centers, universities, and think tanks from all over the world wanted her to work for them. Jemma looked at each offer carefully, but nothing quite fit.

“Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division? If your organization is so big, why have I never heard of it?”

“We exist in the shadows, Miss Simmons,” said her newest recruiter, “to protect mankind from whatever needs saving.”

“That sounds very noble, sir,” Jemma replied politely, “but what will I learn at this….Shield Academy?”

“All the answers to all the questions you could ever dream of.”

…

“All the way to the outbacks of Australia!” her father said in wonderment. “That's my girl.”

“Promise me you'll call us every week,” her mother said, embracing her daughter and holding her tight.

“Well, I'll try to ring you when I can, mum. There's...not a lot of cell service out there.”

Jemma turned away from her parents to hide the telltale flush of her face. She hated lying to them, but SHIELD had sworn her to secrecy.

“I told my folks I was studying the Arctic,” her recruiter had told her, “they got suspicious when I came home with a sunburn."

…

Jemma walked up to the doors of Shield Academy for the first time that night, the stars at her back.

 


End file.
